This invention relates generally to load responsive fluid control valves and to fluid power systems incorporating such valves, which systems are supplied by a single fixed or variable displacement pump. Such control valves are equipped with an automatic load responsive control and can be used in a multiple load system, in which a plurality of loads is individually controlled under positive and negative load conditions by separate control valves.
In more particular aspects this invention relates to direction and flow control valves capable of controlling simultaneously a number of loads under both positive and negative load conditions.
In still more particular aspects this invention relates to direction and flow control valves capable of controlling simultaneously multiple positive and negative loads, which while controlling a negative load interrupt pump flow to the motor providing the motor inlet with fluid from the pressurized system exhaust.
Closed center load responsive fluid control valves are very desirable for a number of reasons. They permit load control with reduced power losses and therefore, increased system efficiency and when controlling one load at a time provide a feature of flow control irrespective of the variation in the magnitude of the load. Normally such valves include a load responsive control, which automatically maintains pump discharge pressure at a level higher, by a constant pressure differential, than the pressure required to sustain the load. A variable orifice, introduced between pump and load, varies the flow supplied to the load, each orifice area corresponding to a different flow level, which is maintained constant irrespective of variation in magnitude of the load. The application of such a system is, however, limited by several basic system disadvantages.
Since in this system the variable control orifice is located between the pump and the load, the control signal to a pressure regulating throttling device is at a high pressure level inducing high forces in the control mechanism. Another disadvantage of such a control is that it regulates the flow of fluid into the motor and therefore does not compensate for fluid compressibility and leakage across both motor and valve. Still another disadvantage of such a control is that timing of the valve and sequencing of operations must be very exact to prevent cavitation in the motor and to prevent the motor from being subjected to excessive pressures during control of negative loads. A fluid control valve for such a system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,953 issued to Haussler.
Normally the load responsive valve control can maintain a constant pressure differential and therefore constant flow characteristics when operating only one load at a time. With two or more loads, simultaneously controlled, only the highest of the loads will retain the flow control characteristics the speed of actuation of lower loads varying with the change in magnitude of the highest load. This drawback can be overcome in part by the provision of a proportional valve as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,694 dated Oct. 7, 1969 and also in U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,210 issued to Allen on July 15, 1969. However, while those valves are effective in controlling positive loads they do not retain flow control characteristics when controlling negative loads, which instead of taking, supply the energy to the fluid system and hence the speed of actuation of such a load in a negative load system will vary with the magnitude of the negative load. Especially with so-called overcenter loads, where a positive load may become a negative load, such a valve will lose its speed control characteristics in the negative mode.
This drawback can be overcome by the provision of a load responsive fluid control valve as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,517 issued July 10, 1973. However, while this valve is effective in controlling both positive and negative loads, with pump pressure responding to the highest pressure of a system load being controlled, it still utilizes a controlling orifice located between the pump and the motor during positive load mode of operation and therefore controls the fluid flow into the fluid motor instead of controlling fluid flow out of the fluid motor.
This drawback can be overcome by provision of load responsive fluid control valves as disclosed in my pending patent application Ser. No. 522,324 filed Nov. 8, 1974, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,134, entitled "Load Responsive Fluid Control Valves". However, while such valves maintain the pump discharge pressure higher, by a constant pressure differential, than the highest load pressure of system loads being controlled and are effective in controlling multiple positive loads, while maintaining a relatively constant down stream pressure at the motor exhaust, during control of negative loads those valves supply the motor inlet with throttled down fluid from the pump circuit, therefore using flow from the pump, while controlling a negative load. In certain fluid power control systems it is preferable, while controlling a negative load, to supply fluid to the motor inlet from the motor exhaust circuit instead of using pump capacity.
This drawback can be overcome in part by provision of fluid control valves as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,447 issued to Masuda on Apr. 30, 1974. However, while those valves utilize actuator exhaust fluid for actuator inlet flow requirement when controlling negative loads they regulate actuator inlet pressure by bypassing fluid to a down stream load circuit. Masuda'a valves and their proportional control system are based on series type circuit in which excess fluid flow is successively diverted from one valve to the other and in which loads arranged in series determine the system pressure. In such a system flow to the last valve operating a load must be delivered through all of the bypass sections of all of the other system valves, resulting in higher fluid throttling loss. These valves are not adaptable to simultaneous control of multiple loads in parallel circuit operation since they do not provide system load control pressure signal to the pump flow control mechanism. When used with variable displacement pumps these valves are not capable of providing sufficient pressurized exhaust flow to actuator inlet during control of negative load to prevent cavitation.